Sterile ampule package



May 27, 1958 R. H. CARROLL STERILE AMPULE PACKAGE Filed Sept. 13, 1956FIGE) FIG.4

INVENTOR RICHARD H. CARROLL ATTORNEY hit 15 2,836,320 sTEnrLE AMPULEPACKAGE Richard H. Carroll, Old Chatham,-N. Y., assignor toSterling'Di-ng Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,673"

6 Claims. (Cl. 215-6) under sterile conditions in the hospital operatingroom.

Where ampules are used under these conditions, the

surgeon whose gloved hands have been sterilized has to handle the ampuleby grasping it in his gloved hand and obviously if the outside surfacesof the'ampule are not sterile, this leavesa chance of contamination.

The present invention includes the provision of a sterile ampule packagecomprising the sealed glass container or ampule which is placed in asecond, larger glass container or vial, the latter being provided with arubber or similar plug having means thereon for engaging and holding thetop of the ampule which may be slender and lends itself to being held,handled, and located by means of a cavity within the plug.

By this means the sterile ampule is located and held within the vial bymeans of the plug and the plug in turn seals the vial maintaining thesame sterile.

The invention also provides a hermetically sealed ampule contained andheld within a hermetically sealed container or vial permitting thedelivery to the operating room of an ampule which is sterile on both theinside and outside thereof.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a sterile ampulepackage as above described, includ ing the provision of water in thevial so that when the entire unit is heated in an autoclave, the waterwill vaporize and the outside of the ampule will thus be steamsterilized within the vial; and the provision of a metallic or otherseal engaging the rubber plug above described and securing the same inhermetically sealed relation to the mouth of the vial at the lipthereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in elevation showing the invention, the seal beingomitted;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing the plug and the outer container;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the assembled ampule, vial, andstopper;

Pig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the seal; and

Fig. 6 is a view of the plug looking in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig.2.

in carrying out the present invention there is provided an outercontainer or vial, generally indicated by the numeral 10. This vial maybe made of glass or any other suitable material and is preferablycylindrical and provided with a mouth having a lip 12 providing anannular shoulder 14 and a reduced neck 16. A shaped wad of cotton 18 maybe provided in this vial so that when the ampule generally indicated at29 is inserted in the vial, it may be centered and cushioned by the wad18.

States Patent 2,835,320 Patented May 27, 1958 need not be furtherdescribed, but it is commonly made of glass and is completelyhermetically sealed so that the contents are maintained in originalsterile condition. These ampules are provided with slender necks such as22 and-these may be broken off when the contents are to be used. Thenarrow waists of the ampules maybe provided with score lines if desired.

There will be seen in Figs. l and 3 that with the ampule 20 in positionin the vial 10 the slender neck 22 is uppermost and extends into theneck 16 of the vial.

A rubber or the like plug is generally indicated at 24 andis'bes't'shown" in Fig. 2 andFig. 31 Thisplug is closed at one end as at26, but is provided with 'a narrow cylindrical hollow interior 28, whichis open at the other end of the plug to re'c'eiveand' hold the nar rowneck 22 of the ampule.

of different lengths as well as providing a convenient finger'hold. Theplug is also provided with an outstanding circular flange 30, having afiat lower surface or shoulder 32, the same being annular for tightdisposi tion against the lip 12 of the vial'10. The plug at its open endmay be beveled olf at 34 in order to slip into the mouth of the vialmore easily.

When the ampule has thus been positioned and so held, as illustrated inFig. 3, the seal illustrated in Fig. 5 and indicated by the numeral 36is placed overthe sides of the flange 30 and lip 12 and under theshoulder 14 as illustrated at 38 to provide a hermetic seal for thevial. With the water in the vial, the device, now complete, may beheated and the water vaporized so as to steam sterilize the outside ofthe ampule.

When the device is used in the hospital operating room, the hermeticallysealed outside container or vial 10 may be opened by removing the tab 40formed by the score lines 42 on seal 36 and the sterile ampule is theneasily removed and used without the risk of contaminating the operatingsurgeon in any way. The plug itself acts as a handle, and the ampule maybe easily broken at the reduced portion thereof.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container, a glassampule positioned within the outer container, said ampule comprising amedicament holding portion and a long narrow neck, said portions andneck being separated by a narrow waist for breaking the ampule foraccess to the contents thereof, and a plug sealing the outer container,said plug being provided with a recess to receive, engage, and hold aportion of the ampule in predetermined position within the outercontainer, a flange on said plug and a lip on said outer container, saidflange and said lip being in contact and a disposable seal encompassingthe flange and lip and holding the same together, hermetically sealingthe outer container.

2. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container having aclosed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, a glass ampulewithin the container, said ampule including a long narrow hollow neck, aplug for closing the outer container and holding and engaging theampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow, centralelongated chamber receiving the narrow neck of the ampule, said chamberbeing otherwise closed so that the outer container is completely closedwith the plug inserted in position at the open end of the contain- Theplug is preferably elongated, as shown, and will accommodate ampule endser, said extension being located exteriorly of the con- 'tainer, and theelongated chamber opening into the latter below the lip.

3. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container-having aclosed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, a rigid ampulewithin the container, said ampule including a long narrow neck, a plugfor closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, anextension on said plug provided with a hollow,

' central elongated chamber receiving the neck of the ampule, saidchamber being otherwise closed so that the outer-container is completelyclosed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of thecontainer, said extension being located exteriorly of the container,anda flange on the plug sealed to the lip of the container, said plughaving a' portion extending into the neck of the outer container, saidhollow chamber" having an opening at the end ofsaid extension to receivethe neck of the ampule.

' 4. A sterile ampule package comprisingan outer container having aclosed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, an ampule withinthe'container, a plug for closing the outer container and holding andengaging the ampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow,central elongated chamber receiving the neck of the ampule, said chamberbeing otherwise closed so that a the outer container is completelyclosed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of thecontainer, said extension being located exteriorly of the container, and

, means in said outer container positioning and cushioning the ampule,said means being arranged at the closed end of the outer container. 7

5. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container having aclosed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, an ampule withinthe container, a plug",

for closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, anextension on said plug provided with a hollow, central elongated chamberreceiving the neck of the ampule, said chamber being otherwise closed sothat the outer container is completely closed with the plug inserted inposition at the open end of the container, said extension being locatedexteriorly of the container, and means in said outer containerpositioning and cushioning the ampule, said means being arranged at theclosed end of the outer container, said means including a compressibleshaped wad for engaging the ampule.

pule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that the outer container iscompletely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end ofthe container, said extension being located exteriorly of the,container, and a sterilizing medium in the outer container..

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,002,293 McGrann Sept. 5, 1911 2,438,906 Elsaset al. Apr. 6, 1948-2,4'Z9,l31 Pari Aug. 16, 1949 2,653,609 Smith Sept. 29, 1953 2,694,641Atwood et al. Nov. 16,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION Patent Noc2,836,320 May 27; 1958 Richard I L, Carroll It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the printed specification of. the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ancorrected "belowo Column 3, line "7, for "long narrow neck" read longnarrow hollow neck e Signed and sealed. this 19th day of August 19580(SEAL) Attest:

KARL MINE ROBERT c. WATSON Atteeting Officer C'onmisaionar of Patents

